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Radiation Protection Recommendations, Part 1

We are publishing these radiation protection recommendations, which come from several different sources, to provide you with various options. If you read through the list with its short explanation of each herb, nutrient, or supplement mentioned, you can see which suggestions you can and want to use. You can see which best fit your budget, too, as some are more expensive than others.

We want to make it clear that we are not experts on radiation protection. We simply studied as much as possible in order to learn as much as we could in this short time since the radiation crisis in Japan, and have compiled this list from many different people's radiation protection recommendations. We hope it will be helpful to you. Please do your own research as well, and consult an informed health care practitioner you trust.

Potassium Iodide: Have it on Hand, but Don't Take it til You Need It

As we have written about in our previous article, Thyroid Protection, potassium iodide (KI) helps protect your thyroid from the radioactive iodine released as a result of most nuclear accidents. This is very important, which is why we suggest having it on hand at all times in case of emergencies, such as an accident at a nuclear reactor which may be even nearer to you than those in Japan.

We do want to stress, though, that potassium iodide should only be used in the event that you are being exposed to radioactive material.

If there isn't clear evidence that you are being exposed, then you should just keep the KI in a safe place, maybe even having some in the car or your purse, but not use it until you really need to.

To get an idea of the winds blowing from Japan to the US, you can use this Jet Stream Analysis Animation tool. In the pink box on that page choose 1 to 4 days, 6 or 12 hour intervals, and click the Build Animation button. You can find Japan on the left at about 9 o'clock near the left edge of the map.

The radiation protection recommendations below can be used now to prepare your body for the stress and ravages of radiation. Ideally, the same recommendations should be used during and for months after exposure.

Your body has the wonderful ability to heal itself from the most terrible diseases if it is provided with the proper nutrition. But regular nutrition alone is not enough for situations like being exposed to nuclear radiation.

These superfoods and extremely nutrient-dense extracts and minerals are designed to provide extra support and raw materials for your body to use in its efforts to protect itself and heal itself.

Natural Health Strategies Radiation Protection Recommendations

Omega-3 and Antioxidants - The use of a high quality omega-3 and antioxidant is critical to immune system health and a reduction of inflammation, especially chronic inflammation.

Exposure to radioactive materials from a nuclear accident puts tremendous stress on the whole body, and omega-3 essential fatty acids provide the body with a way of dealing with the effects of stress and oxidation by strengthening the cell membranes throughout the whole body.*

This very special omega-3 formula also contains two very powerful antioxidants, highly bioavailable and bioactive oils from the grapeseed husk and the kiwifruit seed, both from New Zealand.

From published medical papers, it's clear that omega-3s help the stomach and intestinal tract function better. Green lipped mussel oil has been shown to reduce gastrointestinal inflammation. From personal experience I know that taking our recommended omega-3 settles the stomach.

This can be very important when taking potassium iodide (KI) or an alternative form called potassium iodate (KIO3), because both of these radiation protection pills can upset the stomach to the point of vomiting.

The KI or KIO3 won't do you or your child any good if you vomit it up, so you need to find ways to be sure you keep it down.

(Please see our upcoming article on a comparison of KI and KIO3, coming soon!)

You may already have a favorite fish oil or antioxidant you prefer to take. It's important to be sure that the oil you are taking has not been denatured by the form of processing used, which can actually depress the immune system, and is not contaminated with heavy metals and PCBs.

During this time of crisis, if we are in an area that may be exposed to radioactive material, we need to use the highest quality supplements and superfoods we can, as well take larger servings of these nutrient-dense foods.

Our recommendation would be to take as many MOXXOR capsules as you can. (The "maintenance" serving size in ordinary circumstances is 2 gel caps a day.) There is no toxic level, and the side effect of taking too much is loose bowels, in which case you can just decrease the amount you are taking.

David Wolfe's Radiation Protection Recommendations

The following recommendations are taken from David Wolfe's excellent podcast called "Everything You Need to Know about Radiation." These recommendations are based on his investigations and research.*

Kelp Powder

1 to 2 tablespoons daily

Iodine

13 to 15 mg daily of Lugol's or Iodoral. That's about 100 times the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance.) Alternatively, you could use Nascent Iodine. If you choose this option, start with 1 drop a day, since it's strong, and work up to 2 or 3 drops. If you can get up to 10 drops a day, that's fine. These three (Lugol's, Iodoral, and Nascent) are sources of iodine. They are not KI (potassium iodide.) KI is only to be used when the fallout reaches your area, not before, as KI has some toxic side effects.

Ashwaganda

1 to 2 tablespoons of the extract powder. 4 to 6 droppers full under the tongue if you are using tincture. This herb helps the thyroid cope with stress. Exposure to radiation causes massive oxidation of the body tissues which draws out all the body's negative ion resources to neutralize the oxidation. Most of these negative ion resources are found in the thyroid. The thyroid is very electrical in the way that it functions. In some languages, the thyroid is called the shield gland.

Selenium

4 to 6 Brazil nuts daily. It's a wild food. There are approximately 544mcg of selenium per ounce of Brazil nuts.

Sea Salt

1 tablespoon per day or more, in your water. Salt water can help neutralize radioactive halogens like iodine and bromine.

Vitamin C

Effective in neutralizing free radicals. Radioactive materials are the worst oxidants there are; thus the need for the best antioxidants. If using natural vit C, such as from rose hips, 5,000 to 7,500 mg per day is good. If ascorbic acid you can go to 8,000 to 12,000 mg. If you get diarrhea, then you are taking too much and you should reduce the amount you take per day. Lypo-spheric Vit C is another option and you can take 5 packets per day (5 grams)

Work your way up to 30 drops of Natural Cellular Defense per day. This has a powerful detoxification effect, so you need to start slowly. (You can use powdered zeolite as well. It may be preferred to the liquid form. If you use the our recommended Zeolite Pure, a very pure and powerful form of zeolite, the maximum recommended serving size is 1 measured teaspoon three times a day.)

Fulvic acid

Omica Fulvic - 2 to 4 droppers full per day. Take with lots of water.

Ginseng

Modulates the removal of radiation from the body. Wildcrafted is best. Tincture extract - 4 to 5 droppers full per day. (Not recommended during pregnancy.)

Reishi Mushroom powder

Minimum 5,000 mg of the powder, which is freeze dried mycelium. Work up to higher amounts, up to 15,000 to 20,000 per day.

Hydrogen silica supplement that drives off the uptake of radioactive tritium (found in radioactive water) - 3 to 6 capsules a day, you can work your way up to 9 a day. Dr. Flannigan recommends a maximum of 9 caps a day.

A type of zeolite. One squirt in all liquids that you drink. It draws to itself radioactive debris. It also structures the water. It's a powerful source of healthy hydrogen.

Protection from Radiation by the Therapeutic Research Institute (Steve Evans)

Green Tea Polyphenols

X-rays create a barrage of free radicals and can do DNA gene damage. To fight this cellular attack, first, take green tea polyphenols which have been shown to block whole-body radiation.1 Consider Swanson’s product NWF240, an intense green tea polyphenol product, $13.76 for 180 capsules. [Swanson is at swansonvitamins.com or 800-437-4148 or also for example Puritan’s Pride at puritan.com which is another reliable supplier. We have no connection with these or any other suppliers]. Take one a day all the way through any radiation exposure through two weeks afterwards.*

Meriva

The second key product to reduce the inflammation caused by radiation is curcumin. Remarkably, curcumin protects normal cells from radiation but enhances the death of any tumor cells you might now have.2 It has also demonstrated increased survival in animals exposed to high dose radiation.3 I suggest Swanson’s Meriva, which is an intense and unique curcumin supplement that will pass the blood-brain barrier. This is Swanson’s product SWU493, $9.99 for 60 capsules. Take one twice a day with some food also during any radiation exposure.*

Ginkgo Biloba

The third product to take is ginkgo biloba. Ginkgo has been shown to protect organs from radiation damage as well as protect cells such as after medically-related radioactive iodine treatment.4 Its effect is so pronounced that it was useful in treating workers at the Chernobyl nuclear plant explosion long after their original exposure.5 Adding more evidence for ginkgo, in one very important study6, researchers divided 25 patients into two groups getting radiation [as a therapy for cancer]. One subgroup received 120 mg of ginkgo biloba daily and the other a placebo. The ginkgo prevented the expected DNA damage without interfering with the radiation therapy to kill cancer cells. Swanson has product #NWF309, a standardized 120 mg capsule, $9.89 for 100. You can take this before, during, and after exposure.*